Question for Ballet Mums

patchwork_cat

I did ballet and my mum ( a Dr) was adamant that you should not start pointe work until your feet have finished growing. Google it you will find she is certainly not alone in her thinking.

Potentially she could seriously damage her feet if she starts before her feet have stopped growing.

thegirlintheattic

With well fitting shoes and spending only a little time on pointe - you shouldn't have lasting issues. I did a bit of pointe when I was a teenager and my feet are fine. I got properly fitted shoes and wore a toe pad.

If getting a toe pad be careful not to get one that compresses the feet too much due to overpadding. It can be bad for your feet.

patchwork_cat

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

I did a bit of pointe when I was a teenager and my feet are fine.

That is over 2 years older than the OP's DD.

peachyprice

Look, I didn't ask for a debate on whether my DD is old enough to do pointe or not, if people bothered to read my pervious post, she's going to me doing max 10-15 mins per week en pointe at the barre, not centre unsupported. She's not going to be scooting across the floor to swan lake for hours on end. It's a prep class for the RAD Inter-Foundation grade which for which the entry age is 11.

I trust her teachers to judge whether or not she is ready, I trust them to let her progress at her own pace. We have been going to the same school with the same teachers for the last 8 years, it's not some shoddy ballet school run by 'hobbyists', it is run by professional teachers who are RAD examiners with years and years of experience of knowing their girls ability. So excuse me if I don't take your 'expert' advice.

Thank you for all those who actually answered my question, thank you, I will take your helpful advice on board. I will keep her nails nice and trim and invest in the right size ouch pouches. I had heard of the 'overpadding' making shoes more uncomfortable so will also bear that in mind. The school don't do the shoe fittings themselves, we get sent of to Bloch, where apparently there is a wonderful lady who takes all the time needed to get the correct fit.

thegirlintheattic

patchwork_cat wrote: »

That is over 2 years older than the OP's DD.

Age doesn't really matter in terms of damage as girls are physically ready for pointe from different ages. It depends on many things - the most important being bone growth and tendon/muscle strength. That is why experts range in their recommendations for the minimum age - some say 9, some 11/12, some 14. In reality it depends on the individual student.

An 11 year old who has done hours of dance a week for several years is likely to have strong enough tendons/muscles than a 15 year old who only does an hour of dance a week. In that case it would be more damaging for the 15 year old than the 11 year old.

As none of us know the OPs DD then we should accept what the experts who know her suggest. If they think she is ready and the OP agrees then that's that. If the OP really wants to be sure I believe there are some sports doctors who can x-ray or similar to determine bone maturation but that's an over reaction for a nearly 11 year old doing such small amounts of supported pointe work.

OP do be prepared for some blisters etc. at first, they usually go away after you get used to the shoes and the work.

patchwork_cat

peachyprice wrote: »

She's worried about it hurting her toes and also ruining her feet.

OP you are coming across as quite aggresive, the above quote is from your OP, all those saying not to let her go onto points are answering this fear that you say she has.

My mum and many others believe firmly that pointe work before her feet have finished growing will indeed mean that your DD will suffer exactly what she is concerned about.

This is an open forum and people are entitled to express an opinion whether you think it is relevant to your question or not it is an opinion that they wish to express and whilst free speech remains I will continue to express that opinion where I feel it is relevant - you don't have to take any notice.

peachyprice

Sorry to sound aggresive, but I do resent people assuming they know more about my daughter than I, or her dance teachers do. I guess the academy don't agree with your mum, or many others, otherwise they would restrict pointe work to older girls, not 11yo's.

I did go on to explain that the girls she had seen were girls that were dancing for many hours a day, NOT girls that are only doing 10-15 mins a week, all I wanted was some little tips to tell her from mums with daughter that do pointe to the same degree. As I've already said, she doesn't want to perform so she's never going to dance to that degree, there is a world of difference.

TBH, I wish I hadn't bothered.

meritaten

If your daughter is NEVER going to dance to that degree - why are you posting?
I am confused - your daughter has being doing ballet since age three - you are thrilled she is being 'invited' to go 'en pointe'. your daughter is 'worried and nervous because of the hideous state of older pupils feet' and you asked for advice.
you have been quite aggressive at posters worried your daughter is too young to go 'en pointe' - and now you say she doesnt want to 'perform'?
I wish you hadnt bothered too!

balletshoes

meritaten wrote: »

If your daughter is NEVER going to dance to that degree - why are you posting?
I am confused - your daughter has being doing ballet since age three - you are thrilled she is being 'invited' to go 'en pointe'. your daughter is 'worried and nervous because of the hideous state of older pupils feet' and you asked for advice.
you have been quite aggressive at posters worried your daughter is too young to go 'en pointe' - and now you say she doesnt want to 'perform'?
I wish you hadnt bothered too!

to be fair, just because a dancer doesn't intend going as far as dancing one particular discipline for hours every day, doesn't mean they won't want to take part in furthering their dance, as in beginning en pointe. She might in the future perform en pointe in a number onstage for her school's recital, but thats not the same "performing" as dancing en pointe as a matter of course for hours each week.

Starting the class and performing en pointe regularly are not the same thing.
My daughter dances too, she enjoys her classes and does them regularly. She knows she won't be dancing as a career (she does it for fun) but that doesn't mean that, if in future she is invited to begin en pointe, she won't want to.